Slane Castle
The Slane Concert (often referred to as Slane) is a recurring concert held most years since 1981 on the grounds of Slane Castle near Slane, County Meath, Ireland. The castle is owned by The 8th Marquess Conyngham, who was known by the courtesy title the Earl of Mount Charles from 1974 until 2009. Slane lies between Navan and Drogheda, about 45 km northwest of Dublin. Concerts typically occur on a Saturday in August, from 12:00 to 22:00. However, the 2011, 2015 and 2017 concerts occurred on the last weekend in May, and the first concert of 2013 took place on 15 June. The sloping grounds of Slane Castle form a natural amphitheatre which is ideal for concerts. As many as 70,000–110,000 people usually attend. One of the venue boundaries is the River Boyne. Two people died while trying to swim the river to gain free access to R.E.M.'s concert in 1995. The minimum age of admission to the Slane Concert was reduced in 2006 from 18 to 16 because of complaints. Aiken Promotions invited artists such as David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Queen, The Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen to perform during the 1980s. 2001 and 2013 are the only years in which two concerts were held in the same year. In 2001, both concerts were headlined by U2. In 2013, the first concert was headlined by Bon Jovi and the second by Eminem, who had controversially cancelled his 2005 Slane appearance after entering drug rehabilitation. Guns N' Roses, the Rolling Stones and U2 are the only bands to have headlined the event more than once, and U2 have played twice in one year. Thin Lizzy are the only band to headline and come back as a support act. The Concerts 1980s The first Slane Concert was held on 16 August 19817 by the Earl of Mount Charles (as The 8th Marquess Conyngham was then known). Concerts followed each year until 1987. The seven concerts of the 1980s were headlined respectively by Thin Lizzy, The Rolling Stones, U2, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Queen and David Bowie. For the third concert in 1983, headlined for the first time by U2, Slane Castle was refused permission to hold a concert, so it was held in the Phoenix Park Racecourse in Dublin on 14 August 1983, the only occasion it has been held outside Slane. U2 appeared at Slane in 1981 and 1983, whilst in 1984 Bono performed a duet with Bob Dylan during the latter's encore. This was the last appearance by a member of U2 on the Slane stage until their unique double-headliner in 2001. Thus, Bono has appeared at Slane on a total of five occasions, three of these being in the first four concerts. August 16, 1981 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Thin Lizzy (headliner) U2 Hazel O’ Connor Rose Tattoo Sweet Savage The Bureau Megahype July 24, 1982 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE The Rolling Stones (headliner) The J. Geils Band The Chieftains George Thorogood and the Destroyers August 14, 1983 Phoenix Park Racecourse, Dublin, IRE U2 were set to play their first ever headline gig at Slane Castle, after playing as a supporting act in 1981. However, Slane Castle was refused planning permission to hold U2’s War Tour and the concert was relocated to the Phoenix Park Racecourse in Dublin. U2 (headliner) Simple Minds Eurythmics Big Country Steel Pulse Perfect Crime July 8, 1984 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Bob Dylan took to the stage on the first and last ever Sunday concert in Slane. Dylan’s set was over two hours long showing his commitment to the art. To top it all off, Bono, who was living in the Castle, accompanied Bob Dylan for the encores. However, this is not what Slane concert ’84 is best known for. Concert goers arrived to the sleepy village of Slane on Saturday, in anticipation for the concert the next day. Drink-fuelled youths rampaged through the village, setting light to three cars, wrecking the local Garda station, smashing the windows of local businesses and creating terror in the little village. 18 concert goers were injured, 12 Gardai were injured when the Garda station was attacked with rocks and set alight and unfortunately two young men drowned in the river Boyne. Bob Dylan (headliner) with guests Carlos Santana, Van Morrison, and Bono during encores. Santana UB40 In Tua Nua June 1, 1985 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played their debut Irish concert in front of 75,000 rock fans at - the biggest attended concert of the time in Ireland. Three hours before the concert was due to begin, 4,000 extra tickets went on sale to accommodate the eager fans that flocked into Slane. While Springsteen sang The River, footage of the nearby River Boyne was shown on video screens; the footage was retained for the rest of his tour. Elvis Costello and members of Spandau Ballet and U2 were the then Lord Mount Charles's guests who enjoyed smoked salmon and champagne on the day. July 5, 1986 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Queen (headliner) The Bangles Chris Rea The Fountainhead The Hits July 11, 1987 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE David Bowie (headliner) Aslan Big Country The Grove 1988 No concert 1989 No concert 1990 No concert 1991 No concert May 16, 1992 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Guns N' Roses (headliner) Faith No More Soundgarden My Little Funhouse July 10, 1993 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Neil Young (headliner) Pearl Jam Van Morrison Saw Doctors James 4 Non Blondes The Blue Angels 1994 No concert July 22, 1995 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE R.E.M.'s first concert following Mike Mills's appendectomy. One fan threw a rock at the stage as Oasis prepared to play "Roll with It". This provoked Liam Gallagher to say, "If you don't like it, go fucking hang yourself". Sadly, two young Dubliners tragically lost their lives when they tried to gain free entry into the venue by swimming to the back of the stage via the river Boyne. Following this terrible incident the concert venue came under scrutiny for its safety and for the next two years the venue was silent. During that time, the venue underwent changes to make the concert arena safer and in 1998 the concert returned. R.E.M. (headliner) Oasis Sharon Shannon Belly Spearhead Luka Bloom 1996 No concert 1997 No concert August 29, 1998 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE The Verve (headliner) Manic Street Preachers Robbie Williams The Seahorses James Junkster Finlay Quaye August 28, 1999 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Robbie Williams (headliner) Stereophonics Happy Mondays Placebo Gomez David Gray Simon Carmody August 26, 2000 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Bryan Adams (headliner) Moby Melanie C Screaming Orphans Dara Eagle-Eye Cherry Muse Macy Gray 2001 U2's headlining appearance sold out in 45 minutes. The first concert occurred the week after Bono's father died. The second concert coincided with the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 2 match between the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands, and was shown between Nelly Furtado and Ash at the request of fans. The second show was also filmed for the live video U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland. August 25, 2001 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE U2 (headliner) Red Hot Chili Peppers Coldplay Kelis JJ72 Relish Saturday 1 September 2001 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE U2 (headliner) Moby with Ardal O'Hanlon Ash (replaceing Foo Fighters) Nelly Furtado The Walls Dara August 24, 2002 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Stereophonics (headliner) The Charlatans Ocean Color Scene Nickelback Counting Crows Doves The Revs August 23, 2003 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Red Hot Chili Peppers (headliner) Foo Fighters Queens of the Stone Age PJ Harvey Feeder Morcheeba Halite August 29, 2004 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE The 2004 concert attracted protests from the people of Slane, as the only date Madonna was available to play was a Sunday. The inhabitants were afraid of repeats of the civil unrest that had occurred the last time a concert was held on a Sunday, in 1984. This was due to concert-goers arriving the day before, Saturday, and consuming large amounts of alcohol before the Sunday concert. The matter was resolved by postponing the start of the concert and having a notably smaller lineup than other years. Madonna (headliner) Iggy Pop and the Stooges Paul Oakenfold The 2005 concert was intended to centre on rap instead of rock music, but Eminem cancelled his appearance (due on 17 September that year with support from 50 Cent, D-12, Obie Trice, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, Olivia, Atlanta's Stat Quo and Flipsyde) after the event sold out. The promoter, MCD Productions, sought damages in the High Court. August 23-24, 2006 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE In preparation for their third studio album, Celtic Woman performed at Slane Castle, with this show airing on PBS during December 2006. The studio album, titled Celtic Woman: A New Journey, was released on 30 January 2007. As with their debut, the live performance was released on DVD simultaneously. This album immediately hit the Billboard 200 at #4 and the Billboard World Music chart at #1, moving their previous two releases down a notch and securing the top three positions on that chart for the group. August 18, 2007 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE The Rolling Stones (headliner) The Charlatans The Hold Steady Tinariwen Frankie Gavin 2008 No concert June 20, 2009 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE In 2009, Dublin Bus did not provide enough transport for those who purchased a return ticket, and there were no Garda Síochána near the buses. The concert ended between 22.30 and 23:00, yet thousands did not get a bus seat until 03:00. Oasis were joined by family members, including their mother Peggy, for the show. They began their performance with "Rock 'N' Roll Star" and finished with "Live Forever" and then returned for an encore of "Don't Look Back in Anger", "Falling Down", "Champagne Supernova" and "I Am the Walrus".Liam Gallagher shouted at the fans: "Slane Castle, you've been fucking biblical". Several Irish celebrities attended the concert, including footballers Gary Kelly, Stephen Ireland and John O'Shea and solicitor Gerald Kean. Ten people were detained on public order offences throughout the day of the concert, including two people who were arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. MCD Productions asked fans to report any problems after complaints regarding transport facilities. Fiach Kelly, writing in The Irish Independent, reported on the "yoof element" where "you could be forgiven for thinking you had arrived at a rather large teenage disco". Oasis (headliner) The Prodigy Kasabian Glasvegas The Blizzards 2010 No concert May 28, 2011 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Kings of Leon (headliner) Elbow White Lies Thin Lizzy Mona The Whigs 2012 No concert June 15, 2013 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Bon Jovi (headliner) The Coronas Bressie Ham Sandwich August 17, 2013 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE After the 2013 Eminem concert, photographs were posted to social media websites showing a 17-year-old schoolgirl from the west of Ireland fellating two men in public at the concert and kissing one of them while he fondled her vulva. Video footage posted at the YouTube website showed men groping and jeering the girl as she kissed another man, while male and female teenagers encouraged her to fellate him. As the images spread quickly and widely across social media sites under the hashtag "#slanegirl," posters directed a barrage of abusive and mocking online comments at the young woman, who became so distraught that she was hospitalized and sedated. One of the men pictured in the photographs, a 19-year-old former amateur boxer from Belfast, went into hiding to escape media attention. The incident received international publicity, sparking intense debate about issues such as teenage sexual behaviour, double standards, cyberbullying, and slut-shaming. Lord Conyngham refused to comment, saying that it would be inappropriate for him to do so. The Garda Síochána investigated the incident, while social media companies including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram moved to curb circulation of the photographs by deleting pages or suspending user accounts for violating their terms of service. It later emerged that the girl had reported a sexual assault at the concert venue, unrelated to any incidents depicted online, and that she had been treated at a sexual assault unit. Gardaí subsequently confirmed that the girl had given a statement to them in the days following the concert, but said that she had made no official complaint and that no charges would be issued over the matter. Eminem (Headliner) Chance The Rapper Slaughterhouse Yelawolf EarlWolf Plan B 2014 No concert May 30, 2015 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Foo Fighters (Headliner) Kaiser Chiefs Hozier Ash The Strypes 2016 No concert May 27, 2017 Slane Castle, Slane, IRE Guns N' Roses (Headliner) Royal Blood Mark Lanegan Otherkin